By Aaron Cordy
THERE is no lonelier place than to sit inside your own head when you feel your life has nothing to offer and you think you give no value to the people around you. The disconnect and solitude can and does lead many down a dark road with thoughts and rash actions that can’t always be called back.
There were 3200 known suicides across Australia last year and an estimated 65000 attempts every year, yet no one wants to talk about this scourge that is stealing our loved ones. There are many reasons people feel suicide is the only option they have left. For those left behind, it is guilt and blame they are left holding instead of their friends and family members.
It doesn’t have to be this way. For people on both sides of this epidemic, there are options not always obvious when we are struggling in our worst moments. The first step is reaching out and talking. If not to those closest to us, there are agencies like Lifeline, Beyond Blue who can offer support.
In the Goulburn Valley we are not unaffected. Steven Neff’s ‘We Listen’ is a locally based group that meets fortnightly at the MEAC centre in Mooroopna. The group offers a no-judgment listening space for people dealing with suicidal thoughts and those who were left behind when a friend or family member saw no option but the fatal solution to their troubles.
To begin the conversation that may save your life or the life of someone you love, call: Lifeline, 131114. Beyond Blue, 1300224636. Suicide Call Back, 1300659467. 1300YARN, 1300139276. Kids Helpline, 1800551800.
Or join ‘Neffy Walk Let’s Talk’, Saturday, November 18, 3.30pm to 8pm at Victoria Park Lake.
